AI Prompts for Project Managers: Templates That Actually Work

Help me define a sprint goal and select backlog items for our upcoming sprint. Use only the information I provide below. Do not invent stories or estimates.

PROJECT CONTEXT:
- Product: [PRODUCT NAME, e.g., "ShipTrack — e-commerce order management platform"]
- Team size: [NUMBER] engineers, [NUMBER] QA
- Sprint duration: [NUMBER] weeks
- Sprint number: [e.g., Sprint 14]

BACKLOG ITEMS UNDER CONSIDERATION:
1. [STORY TITLE] — Priority: [HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW] — Estimate: [POINTS OR HOURS] — Notes: [any dependencies or context]
2. [STORY TITLE] — Priority: [PRIORITY] — Estimate: [ESTIMATE] — Notes: [context]
3. [STORY TITLE] — Priority: [PRIORITY] — Estimate: [ESTIMATE] — Notes: [context]
4. [STORY TITLE] — Priority: [PRIORITY] — Estimate: [ESTIMATE] — Notes: [context]
5. [STORY TITLE] — Priority: [PRIORITY] — Estimate: [ESTIMATE] — Notes: [context]

TEAM CAPACITY THIS SPRINT:
- Available capacity: [TOTAL POINTS OR HOURS]
- Known absences: [WHO and WHEN, e.g., "Sarah out Thursday-Friday"]
- Carryover from last sprint: [ANY INCOMPLETE ITEMS]

BUSINESS CONTEXT:
- [KEY DEADLINE OR MILESTONE, e.g., "Beta launch to first 50 customers on March 15"]
- [STAKEHOLDER PRIORITY, e.g., "VP of Sales needs the bulk import feature for a demo on March 10"]

Please provide:
1. A clear sprint goal (1-2 sentences that describe the outcome, not a list of tasks)
2. Recommended items to include in the sprint, with rationale for each
3. Items to defer, with brief explanation
4. Risks or dependencies to discuss with the team
5. Suggested discussion points for the planning meeting

Help me create a task breakdown and capacity plan for our sprint. I have the committed stories — I need them broken into tasks with assignments. Do not invent tasks that are not implied by the stories.

SPRINT DETAILS:
- Sprint: [SPRINT NUMBER]
- Duration: [START DATE] to [END DATE]
- Sprint goal: [1-2 SENTENCE GOAL]

COMMITTED STORIES:
1. [STORY TITLE] — [ESTIMATE] — Acceptance criteria: [BRIEF CRITERIA]
2. [STORY TITLE] — [ESTIMATE] — Acceptance criteria: [BRIEF CRITERIA]
3. [STORY TITLE] — [ESTIMATE] — Acceptance criteria: [BRIEF CRITERIA]

TEAM MEMBERS AND SKILLS:
- [NAME] — [ROLE/SPECIALTY, e.g., "Backend, experienced with payment APIs"]
- [NAME] — [ROLE/SPECIALTY, e.g., "Frontend, React and accessibility"]
- [NAME] — [ROLE/SPECIALTY, e.g., "Full-stack, newer to the codebase"]
- [NAME] — [ROLE/SPECIALTY, e.g., "QA, automation focus"]

CONSTRAINTS:
- [e.g., "Code freeze on Friday of week 2"]
- [e.g., "Dependency on API team delivering auth endpoint by Wednesday"]

Please provide:
1. Task breakdown for each story (development tasks, testing tasks, review tasks)
2. Suggested assignments based on team skills
3. A rough day-by-day sequence showing when tasks should start and finish
4. Bottlenecks or parallel work opportunities
5. Buffer recommendations for unexpected issues

Help me write a weekly project status report. Use only the data I provide. Do not invent progress or fabricate metrics.

PROJECT:
- Name: [PROJECT NAME]
- Current phase: [e.g., "Development — Sprint 14 of 18"]
- Overall health: [GREEN / YELLOW / RED]
- Report date: [DATE]

THIS WEEK'S PROGRESS:
- Completed: [LIST 3-5 ITEMS COMPLETED, e.g., "Payment gateway integration tested and deployed to staging"]
- In progress: [LIST 2-4 ITEMS IN PROGRESS, e.g., "Bulk import feature — 70% complete, backend done, frontend in review"]
- Not started: [ANY PLANNED ITEMS THAT DID NOT BEGIN]

MILESTONES:
- Next milestone: [MILESTONE NAME] — Due: [DATE] — Status: [ON TRACK / AT RISK / DELAYED]
- Previous milestone: [MILESTONE NAME] — Completed: [DATE or "delayed to DATE"]

BLOCKERS AND RISKS:
- [BLOCKER 1 — what it is, who owns it, when it needs to be resolved]
- [RISK 1 — likelihood, impact, mitigation plan]

KEY METRICS (if applicable):
- [e.g., "Sprint burndown: 45 of 62 points completed"]
- [e.g., "Open bugs: 12 (3 critical, 9 minor)"]

NEXT WEEK'S PRIORITIES:
1. [PRIORITY 1]
2. [PRIORITY 2]
3. [PRIORITY 3]

DECISIONS NEEDED:
- [DECISION 1 — what needs deciding, by whom, by when]

Please write a concise status report with these sections: Summary (2-3 sentences), Progress, Milestones, Blockers & Risks, Metrics, Next Week, Decisions Needed. Use bullet points. Keep it under 400 words. Tone should be factual and direct.

Help me write an executive summary for a steering committee meeting. This needs to be concise and focused on what leadership cares about: timeline, budget, risks, and decisions. Do not add detail beyond what I provide.

PROJECT:
- Name: [PROJECT NAME]
- Sponsor: [EXECUTIVE SPONSOR NAME]
- Budget: [TOTAL BUDGET] — Spent to date: [AMOUNT] — Forecast: [ON BUDGET / OVER BY X%]
- Timeline: [ORIGINAL END DATE] — Current forecast: [FORECASTED END DATE]
- Overall status: [GREEN / YELLOW / RED]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY POINTS:
- [KEY POINT 1, e.g., "Phase 2 delivery moved from March 30 to April 12 due to third-party API delays"]
- [KEY POINT 2, e.g., "User acceptance testing begins April 1 with 15 pilot customers confirmed"]
- [KEY POINT 3, e.g., "Team added one contractor to recover schedule — $12K impact to budget"]

TOP RISKS:
1. [RISK] — Impact: [HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW] — Mitigation: [PLAN]
2. [RISK] — Impact: [LEVEL] — Mitigation: [PLAN]

DECISIONS REQUIRED FROM STEERING COMMITTEE:
1. [DECISION — e.g., "Approve additional $15K for extended QA cycle"]
2. [DECISION — e.g., "Confirm go/no-go criteria for April launch"]

ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE LAST UPDATE:
- [ACCOMPLISHMENT 1]
- [ACCOMPLISHMENT 2]
- [ACCOMPLISHMENT 3]

Please write a one-page executive summary with: Status Overview (3-4 sentences), Key Accomplishments, Timeline & Budget Update, Risks, Decisions Required. Use a professional, confident tone. Keep it under 300 words. Leadership does not want detail — they want clarity.

Help me build a risk register for my project. Based on the project context I provide, identify potential risks and structure them in a standard format. Separate the risks I have already identified from any additional risks you suggest based on the project type.

PROJECT CONTEXT:
- Project: [PROJECT NAME AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION]
- Type: [e.g., "New product launch," "System migration," "Process improvement"]
- Duration: [TIMELINE]
- Team size: [NUMBER OF PEOPLE]
- Budget: [APPROXIMATE BUDGET]
- Key stakeholders: [LIST PRIMARY STAKEHOLDERS]
- Technology stack: [IF APPLICABLE]

KNOWN DEPENDENCIES:
- [DEPENDENCY 1, e.g., "Third-party payment provider API — currently in beta"]
- [DEPENDENCY 2, e.g., "Marketing team needs 3 weeks lead time for launch materials"]
- [DEPENDENCY 3, e.g., "Legal review required before customer-facing release"]

RISKS I HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED:
1. [RISK DESCRIPTION]
2. [RISK DESCRIPTION]
3. [RISK DESCRIPTION]

Please create a risk register table with these columns:
- Risk ID (R-001, R-002, etc.)
- Risk Description
- Category (Technical, Schedule, Resource, External, Scope)
- Likelihood (High / Medium / Low)
- Impact (High / Medium / Low)
- Risk Score (Likelihood x Impact)
- Mitigation Strategy
- Owner
- Status (Open / Monitoring / Closed)

Include my identified risks first, then suggest 5-7 additional risks that are common for this type of project. Mark suggested risks clearly so I can review and keep or remove them.

Help me create a detailed mitigation plan for a specific project risk that has been identified. I need actionable steps, not generic advice.

RISK DETAILS:
- Risk: [DESCRIPTION OF THE RISK]
- Category: [TECHNICAL / SCHEDULE / RESOURCE / EXTERNAL / SCOPE]
- Current likelihood: [HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW]
- Potential impact: [DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENS IF THIS RISK MATERIALIZES]
- When it could occur: [TIMEFRAME]

PROJECT CONTEXT:
- Project: [PROJECT NAME]
- Current phase: [PHASE]
- Team: [RELEVANT TEAM MEMBERS AND THEIR ROLES]
- Budget available for mitigation: [IF APPLICABLE]

WHAT WE HAVE TRIED SO FAR:
- [ACTION TAKEN, if any]
- [ACTION TAKEN, if any]

CONSTRAINTS:
- [e.g., "Cannot delay the launch date"]
- [e.g., "No budget for additional contractors"]

Please provide:
1. Prevention actions (steps to reduce the likelihood of this risk occurring)
2. Contingency plan (what to do if the risk materializes despite prevention)
3. Early warning indicators (signals that this risk is becoming more likely)
4. Escalation criteria (when to escalate to the sponsor or steering committee)
5. Timeline for implementing mitigation steps
6. Estimated cost or effort for each mitigation action

Keep recommendations specific and actionable. No generic advice like "communicate regularly" — tell me exactly what to communicate, to whom, and when.

Help me draft a project kickoff email to send to all stakeholders. The email should set expectations, clarify roles, and build confidence that this project is well-organized. Use only the information I provide.

PROJECT:
- Name: [PROJECT NAME]
- Objective: [1-2 SENTENCE PROJECT GOAL]
- Timeline: [START DATE] to [END DATE]
- Sponsor: [NAME AND TITLE]
- PM: [YOUR NAME]

KEY STAKEHOLDERS (email recipients):
- [NAME — ROLE — what they care about, e.g., "VP Engineering — technical feasibility and team capacity"]
- [NAME — ROLE — what they care about, e.g., "Head of Sales — feature availability for Q2 pipeline"]
- [NAME — ROLE — what they care about, e.g., "Design Lead — UX research timeline"]

PROJECT SCOPE:
- In scope: [LIST 3-5 KEY DELIVERABLES]
- Explicitly out of scope: [LIST 1-3 THINGS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED]

KEY MILESTONES:
1. [MILESTONE] — [DATE]
2. [MILESTONE] — [DATE]
3. [MILESTONE] — [DATE]

WHAT YOU NEED FROM STAKEHOLDERS:
- [e.g., "Design team: UX mockups by February 20"]
- [e.g., "Sales: List of top 10 customer feature requests by February 15"]

COMMUNICATION PLAN:
- Status updates: [FREQUENCY AND FORMAT]
- Steering committee: [FREQUENCY]
- Escalation path: [BRIEF DESCRIPTION]

Please write a professional kickoff email that covers: project overview, scope, milestones, roles and responsibilities, what is needed from each stakeholder, and communication cadence. Keep it under 400 words. Tone should be organized, confident, and collaborative.

Help me write a scope change notification. A change has been requested or identified, and I need to communicate the impact clearly to stakeholders. This is not an approval request — it is a clear explanation of what changed, why, and what it means.

CHANGE DETAILS:
- What changed: [DESCRIPTION OF THE SCOPE CHANGE]
- Requested by: [WHO REQUESTED OR IDENTIFIED THE CHANGE]
- Reason: [WHY THIS CHANGE IS NEEDED]

IMPACT ASSESSMENT:
- Timeline impact: [e.g., "Adds 2 weeks to Phase 2 delivery"]
- Budget impact: [e.g., "Estimated $8K additional development cost"]
- Resource impact: [e.g., "Requires 1 additional frontend developer for 3 weeks"]
- Risk impact: [e.g., "Increases integration risk — new dependency on external API"]

WHAT DOES NOT CHANGE:
- [e.g., "Phase 1 delivery date remains March 15"]
- [e.g., "Core feature set is unchanged"]

OPTIONS:
1. [OPTION A — e.g., "Accept the change with timeline extension"]
2. [OPTION B — e.g., "Accept the change, reduce scope elsewhere to maintain timeline"]
3. [OPTION C — e.g., "Defer to Phase 3"]

MY RECOMMENDATION: [WHICH OPTION AND WHY]

AUDIENCE: [WHO WILL RECEIVE THIS — e.g., "Project sponsor and steering committee"]

Please write a clear, professional scope change notification with: Change Summary, Impact Analysis, Options, Recommendation, and Next Steps. Keep it under 350 words. Tone should be direct and factual — no apologizing for the change, just explain it clearly.

Help me create a sprint retrospective facilitation guide. I want a structured agenda that keeps the conversation productive and results in concrete action items. Tailor it to the context I provide.

SPRINT CONTEXT:
- Sprint: [NUMBER]
- Duration: [DATES]
- Sprint goal: [GOAL] — Outcome: [MET / PARTIALLY MET / NOT MET]
- Team size: [NUMBER] — Retro duration: [MINUTES]

SPRINT OUTCOMES:
- Velocity: [PLANNED vs. ACTUAL, e.g., "Planned 52 points, completed 38"]
- Completed stories: [NUMBER] of [TOTAL]
- Carryover items: [LIST ANY STORIES THAT DID NOT FINISH]
- Notable events: [e.g., "Production incident on Tuesday — 4 hours of unplanned work"]

KNOWN ISSUES TO DISCUSS:
- [ISSUE 1, e.g., "Code reviews taking 2+ days on average"]
- [ISSUE 2, e.g., "Requirements changed mid-sprint for the checkout feature"]

PREVIOUS RETRO ACTION ITEMS:
- [ACTION ITEM 1] — Status: [DONE / IN PROGRESS / NOT STARTED]
- [ACTION ITEM 2] — Status: [STATUS]

Please create a facilitation guide with:
1. Opening (5 min) — Review the sprint goal and outcomes, check previous action items
2. Data gathering (10 min) — What went well, what did not, what surprised us
3. Discussion (15-20 min) — Structured discussion of the top 2-3 themes
4. Action items (10 min) — Specific, assigned, time-bound commitments
5. Closing (5 min) — Appreciation round and retro rating

Include 2-3 discussion prompts for each section that I can use to guide conversation. Keep the guide practical and time-boxed.

Help me turn raw retrospective notes into structured action items. The team discussed several topics and I captured notes — now I need clear, assignable actions. Do not add actions beyond what the notes support.

RETRO NOTES:
What went well:
- [NOTE 1, e.g., "Pair programming on the payment feature worked great — caught bugs early"]
- [NOTE 2, e.g., "New standup format saved 10 minutes per day"]
- [NOTE 3]

What did not go well:
- [NOTE 1, e.g., "Code reviews bottlenecked on Sara — she's the only one who knows the auth module"]
- [NOTE 2, e.g., "Sprint scope changed after day 3 when PM got new requirements from sales"]
- [NOTE 3]

Discussion themes:
- [THEME 1, e.g., "Knowledge silos are creating single points of failure"]
- [THEME 2, e.g., "Mid-sprint scope changes are hurting predictability"]

Team suggestions:
- [SUGGESTION 1, e.g., "Rotate code review assignments so everyone learns each module"]
- [SUGGESTION 2, e.g., "Require a scope freeze after sprint planning — changes go to next sprint"]

TEAM MEMBERS: [LIST NAMES]

Please create:
1. A summary of key themes from the retro (3-5 sentences)
2. Action items in this format:
   - Action: [SPECIFIC ACTION]
   - Owner: [SUGGESTED PERSON based on the discussion]
   - Due: [SUGGESTED TIMEFRAME]
   - Success metric: [HOW WE KNOW IT WORKED]
3. Items to carry into next retro for follow-up
4. Positive practices to continue (from "what went well")